Veteran Biologists Accuses FWS Of Cooking Florida Panther Data - AP

[hatrack]

WASHINGTON — "With no more than 100 Florida panthers roaming the southwestern part of the state, a Fish and Wildlife Service biologist is accusing the agency of putting developers' needs ahead of the endangered cats.

Andrew C. Eller Jr., a Fish and Wildlife biologist for 17 years, filed a formal complaint Monday alleging the agency is knowingly using flawed science in key decisions affecting how much undeveloped land is set aside for the panthers. "Panther literature considered 'best available science' by the USFWS contains unsupported assumptions, uses inappropriate analytical methods, and selectively uses data to support conclusions," Eller said in his complaint.

He said agency figures are being inflated and habitat needs minimized. For example, daytime and nightly habitat use patterns are wrongly equated, and all panthers are falsely assumed to be breeding adults to show a higher reproduction rate, he said. Eller said the agency should conclude that the animal's existence is in jeopardy, which could require stricter protections against development.

"They're all getting the green light; there's no such thing as a caution or red light," said Eller, who lives in Vero Beach, Florida. "We're losing habitat to urban development and agricultural land conversion quicker than it can be protected."

EDIT

http://www.enn.com/news/2004-05-04/s_23427.asp

[blindpig]

1. damn Jeb & his cronies to hell

If the panther survives in the field another 15 years I'll be amazed.Where's Skink when you need him?